Syliflus
by GawenStarTeller
Summary: Syliflus. A tribe known for its warriors and skill with combat. Being one of the best tribes around, other Pokemon have nicknamed this tribe the "Tribe of War". They are in beaten, and no one dares challenge them. Until now. Everything breaks into chaos, and it all falls to an unlikely hero, who will change the fate of the tribe.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Grain

My weak, lightly shaded green skin screams with pain. This was the third time I had been attacked this week. I'm not sure why, but it's a prospect that annoys, and more, frightens me in every way. A gash of blood on my front left shoulder prevents me from walking faster. It doesn't help, as I'm sure I'm being chased. I'm not sure who is chasing me, but why should I know? Being hit by a move bug types like my friend, Rai, call X-scissor is enough to send me running for the hills. Maybe I should stand up to the attacking Pokemon? But then again, why should I?

I'm sure I've ran far enough. It was a mountain they call Mt. Silver where I was attacked. I wonder why they call it that. It doesn't look very silver. Maybe if rain hits it in the right way…? That would be a sight to behold. I'm still wondering how I escaped alive. None of the other messenger Pokemon have been attacked like this. Oh yes. I'm sure Pokemon are attracted to me because I smell nice, but I'm not sure X-scissor is a sign of affection. Though, Carnivine do bite on their friends heads for affection…

I shiver. Who would want their head bitten on? I'm glad Chikoritas aren't like that. Up ahead is a cave with stalactites hanging from the ceiling. An eerie blue grow illuminates it. Perhaps it's water. Though, I haven't known water to glow. Electric water? No… I don't think that's it. I begin to walk towards it. Tall grass is somewhat blinding my vision. I hear thunder in the sky. It must rain a lot here; on the top of Mt. Silver is pure snow. Unless I've gone crazy and I'm forgetting physics, which may just be possible. Perhaps I'm dreaming this all.

My head turns to the bloody gash on my shoulder. I grimace. This isn't a dream. This is real. And if this is a dream, I'll probably wake up to see a bloody gash like this one, inflicted to me in my sleep by a Pokemon pulling a prank. I turn away from the blood and focus my gaze again on the cave. It's closer now. A lot closer than before. Perhaps I could use the cave for shelter, and let the attacking Pokemon think I'm not anywhere near. My hopes are getting jumbled. Maybe, just maybe.

Now I'm closer, closer than ever before! I stop. Now as my vision is not altered by tall grass, I can see the cave as it really is. Water trickles off the stalactites like a stream of blood falling off curled fangs. On the floor, rests a pile of bones from a Dragonite.

I scream, scaring a flock of Murkrows and sending them sprawling into the dark sky above. This can't be happening. This time I might die. My breathing is now faster and my heart beats one hundred times per second. I force myself to take deep breaths. Yes, long, ten second breaths. Maybe shorter than that, but at least deep breaths for the most part. I force a step forward, then another. My legs are shaking with fear, though I keep telling myself I have none. I exhale, then blink away a tear that forms in my eye, then start walking at a quick trot. In seconds I'm at the caves gaping mouth, which threatens to swallow me for all eternity.

This isn't that scary. Not at all. I force another breath of air into my lungs, and then take one step into the caves stone embrace. The hard rock I now stand on is cold, and it takes some time for my body to get used to the new temperature. Being a Chikorita, I never liked the cold. Scratch that, I didn't really like intense heat either.

I stare further into the cave and my eyes fix on the bones of the Dragonite. Poor thing. It makes me wonder what happened to it. I see a sparkling pool of water behind its bones. It might be an edible source to conquer thirst. But, this could be a trap set up by my attacker. The water might be tainted. My gaze again shifts to the Dragonite, this time, its skull. It seems a waste to let the bones rot here for all eternity. But it's not like I can do anything for it. My stomach churns as I look at its rib cage. A tooth, larger than its head, is somehow wedged into it. Dry blood is caked on the fang.

How could I have not noticed that? I shake my head. Whatever this Pokemon's death may be, it happened a long time ago. There is nothing for me to be scared of. Nothing at all. I walk further into the cave. A droplet of water drips into the leaf that extends from my head. Getting closer, I examine the tooth. It's larger than my entire body! What beast could this belong to?

Not wanting to look at it any more I slam into the tooth with a tackle attack, sending it flying into the glowing pool of water. It sinks to the bottom. Good. I hoped it wouldn't float.

For some reason, I shiver again. It is quite cold in here. Maybe too cold for me. But this is the only place I can stay so…

I look to a corner that would seem rather warm. I walk to it, and curl up my body so I have most of my body, except my face, pressed up against the stone wall. It's colder than I expected, but warm enough for me. Perhaps I could sleep here. Perhaps I couldn't. I could only find out if I tried. Shivering, I close my eyes and try to do so. No sleep comes. Moaning, I get up and walk over to the pool of glowing water. I look down. It's incredibly clear, and it reflects against the cave walls. An electric-water type Pokemon swims in it. It's possible that's what's making it glow. Interested, I lean over the pool. The Pokemon's blue, with light blue fins and a mask of yellow. It has something sprouting from its head, which splits into two others with glowing yellow orbs attached to each. Its eyes are a dark shade of red.

And as I try to find out what it is, I keel over, and fall into the electrified waters of the Pokemon's domain…


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Aurangda

"Three… two… one… ready or not here I come!"

I remove my blue crested paw away from my maroon coloured eyes. Ahead of me is a hole, seemingly drilled into the rock that supports it. It leads to other parts of Mt. Silver. I take two steps backwards. I can feel a multitude of auras around my body. Most are outside.

Now where could he be? I start sprinting on my toes to the opening in the rock. It acts as a doorway, and I walk through it to come across a large cavern, about two thousand times my size. A waterfall flows off the ceiling and falls into a lake in front of me. This will be easy! There aren't many places in Mt. Silver where you won't find bodies of water, or waterfalls like this. I already sense his aura…

I turn my head to the right, looking at another dark entryway about five hundred metres away. It must be extremely dark in there. I smirk, looking crazy. Of course, Sandshrews never liked sunlight or water. It's the perfect location!

I hear thunder outside. A storm's brewing. There always is one around these parts. Especially at the high reaches of the mountain, where it always snows. Is it even possible for lightning to strike while it's snowing? I wouldn't know. I've never been on the top of Mt. Silver. It's too cold for me. At least I can get closer to the summit then Gunaut!

Just as lightning flashes, I begin to sprint down the empty corridor of stone and dirt. It _is_ dark here. I wouldn't be surprised if "Ow!"

I hear the muffled cry of pain as I step on the ground in front of me. This was his usual hiding spot, right smack dab in the ground in the middle of this dark room. I should have looked here first.

Of course, Gunaut used to hide in other places. Even outside! He doesn't any more, ever since the only person he called family, a Spinarak that I honestly forget the name of, left to go on a journey for reasons even he didn't know. Without that Spinarak, Gunaut is scared of the entire world. I pity him for these reasons, though I also hate him for it; I can never have as much fun with him as I used to. That was the worst part.

I twirl my blue body around. It hurts my neck, where there's a yellow collar that is permanently attached to my skin. I try not to yelp, but one escapes anyway. Bending down, grimacing, I take Gunauts round, sandy mass out of the ground. When I gently put him on the ground, he stares at me for a few seconds with his gleaming, bluish-black eyes, then immediately breaks out crying. The sudden shift of emotion pains me, as I can feel it all through ripples of aura. I scowl.

"W-why do you always f-find me! I c-can never find y-you!" he complains.

Oh yeah. Did I already mention Gunaut is a sore loser? Well. He is. Another annoyance to me, he always wants to win. But since when could the person whose hiding technically _win_ in hide-and-seek? And there's a reason I can find him too! His auras as bright as the sunshine! What type of Riolu wouldn't be able to find that? Maybe one that's mentally disordered, or one that was too fat on oran berries. The fun fact is that a completely blind Riolu can easily win hide-n'-seek. Although, most people would think of it as cheating…

"Well. It's a mystery. Why _can't_ you find me?"

Gunaut stops crying for a second, and wipes the moonlight blue tears with his yellow marked skin.

"I- I don't know!" he answers in a tone that makes it sound like gibberish.

I pat his back. He sniffs. I want to reassure him now. Besides, his current emotion pains me.

"Well then how about we don't try to play hide-and-seek for a while, Kay?"

He sniffs again, then nods. I nod back, and then push him out of the dark cavern with one of my paws. We come to the cave I was in earlier. Two torches are mounted on the wall; they were ignited by a Charizard who was kind enough to help us with our temporary home. Those two torches are the only source of light in here. Lucky us. It is also the only source of heat in almost the entire mountain. This time I can actually say I like that we live in a room like this. Two leaf piles, picked from the trees outside, act as beds throughout the night. It's the perfect little "living quarter", other than the fact most of the time we have to share it with other Pokémon who wish for comfort. It's tough living in Mt. Silver, especially with those murders recently… And the stronger winds that envelop in thunder storms.

I hear more thunder boom outside the mountain, and can't help but catch the emotions of panic that loom in Gunaut's aura. I felt my breathing quicken as well. It has been a while since we had a thunder-storm, after all. It'd be a bad idea for us to go outside. Some Pokémon are small enough to fly away in the disastrous winds outside, even without wings or anything like that. The feeling of defying gravity… For most walking Pokémon, it's a dream that all would be excited for. But honestly the concept of not feeling ground under my feet creeps me out.

"Aurangda?" I hear Gunaut squeak.

"Eh?" I reply, somewhat dead to the world as I think about the storm outside.

"I'm scared…"

The words aren't surprising. No, not at all. As I think I mentioned, he's been like this ever since that Spinarak left. Blankly, I stare at the wall. "I know…"

I again pat his back. It would be great if any of us knew the move Sunny Day. And it would be a blessing if one of us was a Dragonair. The only Dragonair in all of Mt. Silver evolved, and then died soon after to causes unknown. The only one, who would know the cause of its death, is Lasdei, a Lanturn that swims in a pool of water not far up the base of Mt. Silver. That Dragonite died right in front of her eyes. It's not a surprise she won't talk about it.

"C'mon Gunaut. We can get through this. Let's just get some sleep."

Gunaut nods again. "O.K."

I watch as the Sandshrew walks over to his bed and lies down, curling into a ball. He wasn't just sleeping; he was also practising a move. Defence curl. A move that slightly raises the overall chance of not getting pummelled to death if you ever had to battle. I would try myself, but I don't think Riolus are as adapted to tight spaces as a Pokémon like Geodude or Sandshrew. Besides, my collar would choke me if I tried.

I stand up straight, and sigh. Gunaut was always a heavy sleeper. I can already hear him softly snoring. I then look around, and walk out of our room as silently as possible. Outside, I come to a small boulder, jutting out of the ground near the pool of water. A thick layer of mist comes from the waterfall and surrounds me in its beyond of white. I feel tiny water droplets sticking to my skin. Cold water droplets.

Sweating, I walk up to the rock, and put my palm on it. I expect something to happen. Nothing does. Frowning, I lift my paw from the wet stone and stare at it quizzically. Another day. Another try. And I just can't use Force Palm.

I blink a droplet of water out of my eye. How long have I been at this? Two-three years? Does it take that long for a Pokémon to level up?

Discouraged, I look at the ground. I can barely even use counter. Maybe I'm not fit for fighting. But someday, I want to evolve into a strong Lucario. Somehow.

I look left at an invisible object, blocked by mist. What now? I'm not sure I want to go to bed. The day just started. And it's almost as if the days ending already. Perhaps I should talk to another Pokémon. Why can't I fight?! If I were to talk to someone, it would be a Lucario, but none live in Mt. Silver.

An idea strikes my mind. I should go talk to Lasdei! And maybe I can force the information out of her about that Dragonite!

Smirking at the idea, I walk into the mist beyond, to the pool of water, where I'll find Lasdei…


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Gunaut

I see a body. It's on a slate of grass, my vision is fixed on it, it seems impossible for me to turn my head. It has a body of light green, and a ring of leaves that surround its neck. It has ruby coloured eyes, and a leaf extending from its circular head. I look at it, wondering why it's there. A a crimson red gash lines its shoulder. Where'd it get that from? The sight of blood makes my stomach feel uneasy; most Pokémon would simply describe the feeling as "Butterflies" or "Butterfrees". Actually… I think the only one who calls it Butterfrees is Aurangda, who, for a fact, never liked flying types. Neither do I.

I can still hear thunder. I think this is a dream, but I can hear it from both worlds; real and dream. Suddenly, the Pokémon I'm staring at shivers. The sudden movement scares me, as I wasn't really paying attention to it any more. I hear thunder again. I see lightning. Lightning that comes from the sky, and pierces the Pokemons heart… It opens its mouth in a shapeless cry as it dies…

I wake up, and scream, breathing hard. Do thunder-storms always inflict so much fear in me? I turn my head from left the right. Aurangda is nowhere in sight. Feeling panic in my lungs, I call for him. It echoes across the cavern, and into the next cave beyond. I try to stand up. My body isn't responding to the pleas I make to get it to move. I'm frozen, as frozen as Kyurem. But not frozen in ice. Frozen in fear. Again I try to move, but my body won't react to my commands. I can guess it's mid-to-late afternoon. Aurangda says I'm a heavy sleeper, which probably means I can sleep for a long time. I hear no thunder. See no lightning. What I thought was thunder in the real world was the crashing of the waterfall, forming endless covers of mist as water flows into water. If only my body would respond. I don't want to be in here without Aurangdas company.

For a couple more minutes, I listen to the thundering of water. A bit of mist flows into our room, this pains me, as Sandshrews aren't meant to adapt to water. I take an awkward, shaky breath. It takes most of the energy away from my body. Taking another, I get up, and smile as my body obeys. I then stare at the ominous darkness beyond our cavern. A beam of sunlight comes from a hole in the surrounding blackness by a small fraction, though it has little effect to seal the darkness away. A thought occurs to me that Aurangda might come back, though; he was always the restless and rash type of person. I wonder if I should try to find him. The idea isn't a pleasant one.

Still shaking a little, I take a step forward, preparing for the oncoming blackness. I see a flame, floating there. A white-violet flame. I shake my head, and blink. It's gone. I'm imagining things now. Perfect. Now I'll be scared of the world for the rest of my life because I'm _seeing_ things. Oh yes, wait for Aurangda to laugh at me when I tell him about it. I shrink back at the thought, and take another step forward, this one more confident than the last. I take another step. Then another, until I'm surrounded by the darkness of the next cavern. Quickly, I walk to the sunlight coming from the hole in the ceiling. It feels warm on my already dry skin, and it gets rid of some of the water drenching it.

I look around. The waterfall now thunders beside me, but currently I don't mind. Where could he have gone? It's possible he could be anywhere, even at the top of Mt. Silver. He was always braver than I…

Maybe he went to visit someone. The possibilities overflow in my mind, though only some seem "legit". He couldn't possibly be outside. Or maybe he was… in that case, I wouldn't go out there. Maybe an oran berry ate him. I smirk at the thought and burst out laughing. It's a high-pitched laughter that anyone would love to hear. It echoes across the stone walls, and recoils back to me, where it rings in my ears. It's alright though. I'm not going to cry because of my own echo like a Whismur!

I stop laughing, and finally notice the shower of mist drifting onto my skin. I take a step forward to get away from it, but it only reduces the amount that touches my body. I still haven't figured out where he is. Where, where could he be? The three things he likes most is mystery, adventure, and harassing me, but it's defiantly not the third one. Adventure could also mean action, like sky diving off a Pidgeotto, or holding your breath for ten seconds (I don't really think holding your breath for ten seconds is fun, but Aurangda seems to think so). It must be mystery.

I take on a puzzled appearance. What is a mystery in Mt. Silver? Who commits those murders, is one, but I doubt Aurangda is even half brave enough to discover that. Where Aurangda stores all his berries? Well, it's not really a mystery to Aurangda. I strain my mind to think of the last thing in Mt. Silver that would have anyone excited. After a few minutes, I lose my breath at the idea I've come up with. Is it possible he went to see the only witness of the Dragonites death, Lasdei, the Lanturn?

I tremble at the thought, but it's the only possible answer. That's outside! I had been to visit Lasdei before, but that was before…

My heart almost shatters at the point of remembering him. I don't dare think his name. The Spinarak that I considered family. My friend. One of my only friends.

My thoughts are interrupted as I listen to a pebble bounce off the cave walls, into the small pond the waterfall creates. How could I go _outside_?! For me, it seems impossible. Even before the Spinarak left for his journey, I only went outside with it, or Aurangda. That was what I was used to. But going out there alone? That would be a terror. Should I stop?

I shake my head. No. I need to prove myself. I don't want to be scared of the world any more It's brought me this far. I take a breath in; it takes a moment for my lungs to process the upcoming of new air.

I take a step into the darkness that's about to engulf me. I can't even see my foot. Taking another breath, I run at a steady trot, into the unknown beyond. If I remember correctly, Lasdei's dwelling was at the base of Mt. Silver, which is much farther down then where I currently am. Maybe I can find a Pokémon on the way there that knows a move that inflicts light. That I would like. It would make my goal easier to get to.

Again my thoughts are interrupted as my nose bumps into a wall, invisible by darkness. I groan, and turn right, where there seems to be open air. Seems to be that way, at least. I stop abruptly. How can I find Lasdei's dwelling in complete darkness? An utter hopelessness starts to wash over my previous feelings. Although, I haven't been trying much yet. For a total, I think I've only walked about ten metres.

Closing my mind so my hope won't diminish, I continue walking forward. Small pebbles are knocked away as I hit them with my feet. My small, sand coloured tail trails against the dirt, making a snake-like path that anyone could follow in light. Thoughts are going through my head, both thoughts of death and courage. I walk into another wall.

I shake my head into a blur of brown, and then stop. I think my nose might be bleeding now, as I taste the metallic, rotten flavour of blood on my tongue. It takes an effort to stop from panicking. No! I'm going to die of blood loss! Aurangda! Help!

I wait a few seconds, and then realize; what am I, stupid? It would take years, and maybe even a lifetime for me to die of blood loss from a simple nose bleed! Unsatisfied with my sudden mishap with the physics of life, I walk in another direction; this time left.

Navigating through darkness is easier than I thought. Well, maybe I assume it's easy. Perhaps I'm not even going in the right direction. I could be about to walk off an underground cliff right now, piercing out from one of the many waterfalls in Mt. Silver. I shiver at the thought, and stop, kicking up some dust in the process. If that were to happen, hitting the ground _or_ water would be bad decisions.

I think back. Why did I even decide on doing this? Aurangda _will_ come back. Right?

Unless… unless he gets attacked by the Pokémon causing the murders when he's gone, and gets killed in the process!

Sick of the taste in my mouth, I keep moving forward.

I hear the sound of skipping rocks behind me.

I freeze. I hear it again. And again.

Maybe someone's trying to chase me!

I scream, which echoes across the cavern walls, then start running at a quick pace. I see a light up ahead. Sunlight. Quickly, I move towards it, until it shines on my wet skin. I turn around, and look for a sign. A Pokémon. An echo. An attack. Anything.

My heart skips a beat as a small pebble rolls into view. Nothing else happens.

Maybe it was just an illusion, in my mind. Upset at my sudden show of weakness, and afraid of what will happen next, I curl up into a ball, and weep...


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Grain

Black. Blue. Red. Some yellow.

The four colours are the only things my eyes are registering as of the moment. I hear dripping; constant dripping, though it's faint and I can't determine where it's coming from.

Beside me somewhere, I hear the soft lull of waves hitting stone. The sound is faint as well. Sometimes, I can hear the slight splashing of something jumping out of the water nearby. I wonder why I cannot hear things correctly. What made my sense of hearing tainted?

I strain my mind to think of something. Everything that must have happened yesterday is a blur in my memory. Why am I sleeping anyway? Did something happen?

I try to open my eyes, but find they are sealed shut. Then, I feel a slight jolt of electricity weave its way into my eyelid.

I yelp. If I wasn't a grass type, that would have turned my eyes to a crisp. I hear the splashing again, then something like fins slap on stone. I have no idea what it is. Whatever it is though, I think it's watching me. Yes. Maybe it is.

My eyelids must be paralysed, due to the sudden electricity, it seemed most obvious. But it disturbs me that it's only my eyes, and not my legs or any other part of my body. Wait, can I move at all?

The question is interesting, after all, it's not like I've tried to move. So, I try to stand on my four feet.

I struggle to do so, but eventually the gash on my shoulder hurts too much, and I fall back onto the cold floor. I hear something cutting through the water.

"Don't move."

The sudden voice surprises me. It's female, but not as cheery as most. The sense of longing and loneliness are evident in those two words. I don't argue with what the voice suggested. It would be futile to move; otherwise my injury might tear further into my flesh.

Grimacing, the curiosity surpasses my patience, and I try to speak.

"Who-"I meant to say 'who are you', but I find my throat is raw, and I utter a small choke. How long have I been asleep if my throat is that dry?

"Don't try to speak either." The voice mutters. I try to determine whether the voice is happy, angry, sad, lonely, happy, or infuriated. No… It's probably none of those.

For a few more minutes; or what I think is minutes, all is silent; save for the sound of rushing water and the constant dripping from somewhere far off. Then, I shiver. It's quite cold in here, I have to admit.

A few moments later, I hear sighing; faint, but it seems to be coming from that voice.

"You've been knocked out for quite a while. When you get the ability to speak again, I think it would be best if you told me everything. Where you came from, why you were in that storm; anything and everything about what happened this morning."

This morning? I long to ask her how much time had passed, but it hasn't been a day, that's for sure. But when I'm able to speak, should I tell her everything? Where I come from is secret, she can't possibly want to know that!

Suddenly, I hear a splash, this time in the other direction. Water hits my face, though I can't open my eyes to see the source. Then; footsteps. Surprisingly soft footsteps, as if the person whom the feet belonged to was walking on its toes.

Another splash, then the voice.

"I've told you more than twice that you will not extract the information from me! It's futile! Draferncrhx's (DRA-FERN-CRIX) death is only known by me and will always stay that way!" I shiver at the voices rage. I've never seen anyone that angry. Well, I can't exactly see her, but I guess she looks like she would rip you apart if she had the chance.

The footsteps stop.

"Ah. Maybe I can't get you to tell me, but I can try. Tell me what happened." This voice was different. It was male, and was calm even though I can bet he was standing in front of a raging... whatever thing.

"No. I won't tell you. Not if I had one-hundred lives and you killed me for all of them."

A moment of silence passes.

"Well. I do suppose I could beat the information out of you," followed by "You don't have the guts. You can't even use Counter."

"Shut up."

"Fine. That's what I was planning to do in the first place. Besides, someone else is here, and I'm not sure our arguing will be a blessing to it."

I note that there's a hint of sarcasm in the females voice. But I can barely hear them for the most part. Some noise might do me good.

Unexpectedly, I feel something poke me in my right side.

"What? This?" The male voice echoes across the cavern. Its question is suitable for the circumstances. It takes a few moments for the female to reply.

"It's a Chikorita that wandered in here during the storm last night. It hobbled into my pond while observing me. I am beginning to wonder why it did, no one in Mt. Silver would be stupid or clumsy enough to wander in here without knowing about the dangerous waters I lurk in."

The statement impaled me like being hit by a disastrous Pin Needle attack. Clumsy? Stupid? I'll make her regret those words! Just wait till I wake up! I'll stab her heart with a…

The words I thought next were too hard to understand, and I soon forgot what I even said at all.

"You made it angry…" The male voice observed, seemingly stepping backwards.

What! How did it know that! Not even psychic type Pokémon get that close to predicting my expressions! Unless…

An idea pops into my mind. I had heard of Pokémon that were capable of reading auras to determine the personality or feelings of the people around them. I wasn't exactly sure what an aura was, such as what colours represent different feelings, only that there are two Pokémon that can use the auras at will. Riolu, and its evolution, Lucario. Although, there are some differences between them, as I've heard. Riolu cannot control auras, but can use them to communicate and judge feelings. However, strong feelings, like deep sadness and anger, it cannot stand, so sometimes it leads to hurting the Riolu.

If I were to take a guess, the male voice isn't a Lucario, but a Riolu, or that's what rumors tell me. Maybe I can change my aura to communicate with it, somehow.

Satisfied with my idea, I change my aura to one of pain.

Silence. Then.

"It appears to be feeling pain." Followed by "Yeah. I'm sure we both know that. You don't have to tell me every emotion it feels."

Displeased by the results of my idea, I get frustrated. Of course he wouldn't be able to understand me. I'm not a Riolu. I feel another jolt of electricity surge through my eyes. It makes me flinch, but I try not to show my pain. I do.

"Its eyes… did you do something to them? It looks like it's in the perfect condition to open them, and it doesn't appears to be sleeping."

I grimace at how perfect it is. I haven't met anybody who can read feelings at will, and it certainly creeps me out. It's like… as if it can read my mind, or more.

"I paralysed its eyelids. It won't be able to open them for a while. I did it because it was too weak to stand up, and I wanted it to rest. By the way Aurangda, where's Gunaut?"

I feel myself relax. Something about that name comforts me, but I'm not sure why. Have I heard it before? Or maybe someone else told me about it. I struggle to scan my memory. It's too hard to remember now, I barely know anything of what happened this morning! Perhaps my memory will come back in time…

Wait! Maybe, it has something to do with Rai? My friend? Aurangda, as the female's voice calls him, speaks and interrupts my thoughts.

"It looks well rested. Open its eyes. Do it. Now."

"And why should I listen to you, oh great and powerful idiot who isn't even close to evolving?"

"Just do it!"

Suddenly, I feel weight lift off of my eyes. Yes! She did it! I strain to open them.

Once I do, I see I'm in the same cave, with the blue illumination I had encountered this morning. I can see a puddle on the stone ground, beside me. Water from a stalactite drips into it. A humanoid figure; blue, with a black mask-like thing surrounding its eyes, stands above me. It's a Riolu, as I expected. It looks over me, to look at the bearer of the other voice behind me. I struggle to roll my body over. Behind me is a small pond, the same one that I fell into that morning. In it, with its head above the water, is the Pokémon I saw this morning, the yellow and blue one. I hear Aurangda move somewhere else, then his voice echoes across the cavern.

"What's this?"

Curious, I roll over to see what he's looking at. I see Aurangda holding a silk bag in his hand. I suddenly feel uneasy.

"It's a silk bag that the Chikorita was carrying when it fell into my pond. Does it serve anything of interest?"

No! Suddenly my memory returns to me. The Dragonite, the storm, the X-Scissor…

That silk bag holds hundreds! Hundreds of letters to go to Pokémon around the Johto region! If they fell into the pool, they're all ruined! Waterlogged, gone.

Aurangda lightly steps over to me, stepping into the puddle beside me and splashing water into my eyes. I blink it out, but I feel it was dirty.

"This is made of silk?" Aurangda asks the other Pokémon.

"Yes. Some of the finest silk I've seen too. Probably weaved by a bug type Pokémon, but I'm not sure which."

Aurangda nods, then without hesitation, _rips_ a huge part of the bag. The letters inside shower onto the ground, scattering everywhere.

Why'd he do that?! That bag was a gift from Rai! It was weaved with his greatest expertise! I'm going to kill him!

Astonished by the sudden thunder-storm of paper, Aurangda drops the bag, and picks one up. No doubt the writings ruined. However, I can still remember what all the letters said. 'This is a warning to all Pokémon. There have been suspicious attacks on our messaging Pokémon lately. Please be on full alert, and report these outlaws to us if you see them! – Syliflus'.

I'm not really sure I want these two learning I'm from Syliflus, the tribe that can be considered the most powerful tribe in the Pokémon world. Right now, I'm hoping that they can't read it.

And with great relief, I see Aurangda toss the letter aside and shake his head, and then pick up the remaining parts of the bag.

"The reason the Chikorita can't stand is the wound on its shoulder. It's not like we have any Pokémon here who know Heal Pulse, so it's going to have to heal naturally. I'm going to use this silk, to stop the bleeding. It _is_ still bleeding after all. When do you think it got the wound anyway?"

It's still bleeding? It must be worse than I thought. I try to calm myself by breathing inwards. Every small breath hurts like a needle.

I hear movement in the pond, and I realize the other Pokémon must have shaken her head to Aurangda's question.

"The wound was much worse when it got here. I don't even think it realized how bad it truly was."

I see Aurangda nod, then he stares straight into my eyes. I shiver. It's a cold, harsh stare. One now of no emotion.

He holds the silk over the wound on my shoulder.

"Don't struggle. This might hurt."

I don't really trust him, and personally, I don't think anyone does.

The silk presses against my body and I squint to prevent from recoiling. I'm glad he chose this for a bandage though. The silk is meant to stick to my body, I'm not sure how, probably something that Rai did to it. After about two minutes of Aurangda rambling about how it stuck to me, the pain in my wound ceases.

With my wound bandaged, I try again at the attempt to stand. I feel a bit of a stinging sensation as the silk touches my wound again, but in all odds, I succeed.

I turn around to look at Aurangda, who is now standing by the pond, talking to that one Pokémon. Bending down, I drink part of the puddle on the floor. Aurangda looks at me weirdly. I did it to get by throat dry, but it tastes horrible and as soon as I swallow it, I feel like drinking fresher water. Too bad there is none.

And with my throat dry, I walk up to the pond, and then speak.

"So. What happened to that Dragonite?"

The Pokémon, of which I finally figured is a Lanturn, looks at me in horror.

"No! Not you too!"

And then Aurangda says the weirdest thing…

"It's a _girl?!_"


	5. Chapter 4

Yes. I do indeed realize I've been dead for a while. I was stumped on ideas for Chapter Four, and wasn't really grasping my imagination. Well, I'm back, with an entirely new plot for chapter four!

Chapter 4

Rai

I weave my way through the branches of Area M. Vines and other lush plant-life make it hard to go through this area without bumping into something. Except if you're a bug-type, like me. My red and purple mass makes it easy for others to see me, plus I can see in the dark.

Area M isn't really important when it comes to Syliflus. The ones that are truly important are areas S, A, B, C, and D. When I came to Syliflus, I dreamed of being in one of those important places. Sure, I've been to them before, but my real job is in Area M, a dense forest that insects had naturally surrounded with webs.

Did I say insects? Huh. Perhaps I meant arachnids. No… maybe insects… whatever, arthropods in general.

Currently, Area M is being used as an outpost. Like, some kind of lookout, because there's been evil spreading throughout the land. Personally, I don't know what the leaders of Syliflus are worried about. We're unbeatable! Not that I've seen real combat before. I'm more like a worker in a hive of bees.

And it's not like I know what the leaders of Syliflus are. I bet they're legendary Pokémon! Or possibly just a bunch of boring Happinys. That would make me laugh. But then again. I'd probably quit my job here.

I un-fold the two legs that every Ariados would keep on they're back. I don't do it much, but it makes me faster. Today, I'm in a hurry.

I can't stop worrying about Grain, a Chikorita who left Area M recently and hasn't returned. She should be back by now. Either that or I'm just paranoid. We've known each other since I was a Spinarak. Granted, I was older than her. Still, an adult can be friends with anyone. That includes a child. Well, I wouldn't call Grain a child. I think she's 17 or something. I'm still older though.

I step onto another branch to the side of me. If I think about it correctly, the leaders of Syliflus must be really stupid. I mean, the messengers were being attacked, why the hell are you sending a messenger to tell everyone? It's like; they _want_ them dead or something.

I'm almost there. Today I took time off my job so that I could visit the hospital wing. You never know, Grain might be there. Not that I'm worried… if she is indeed in the hospital wing, I can trust the Ledians with they're healy-thingy-power-type-things to treat to her. Is healy a word? Not sure.

Not that I understand Ledians. Them and their fluttery five-star descriptions. What do they have five stars on anyway? A restaurant?

I can see the Area M central up ahead. An expanse of wood planks from the trees surrounding it. In the center, there's a well-like building with lush, green vines stringing out of the top. At the end of each vine, there is another, small wood expanse. The vines are used like zip-lines, made for transportation around Area M. There aren't many of them, but if you do happen to find one, you can get to places quickly. It's quite fun if you think about it.

Grain was never able to experience one though. She doesn't have eight legs like me. And those eight legs happen to be quite long, me being classified as the long leg Pokémon.

Stepping onto the platform of wood with one of my legs, I jump up, wrap all eight of them around the vine, and begin to slide down. While doing this, I'm up-side-down, which can make you nauseous when first going down one of these.

I let go when reaching the platform, doing a flip to amaze other Pokémon. Too bad that they didn't really pay any attention. I move my head to watch the other area members go by. They don't all have the same job, but most of them are in the same rank with me, the rank I secretly call 'dumb'.

I watch another Ariados skitter by, some Spinaraks in a line with a wooden support beam on their backs screaming "Lift!" walk by me, some Ledybas fly around here and there, some Bellsprouts are chatting with eachother…

I'm looking for a particular person, if you haven't already guessed. She shouldn't be too hard to find, her being a bright yellow colour.

I move forward into the crowd. It's hard to move through here without bumping into other Pokémon, so I wish I could fly. That said; I find myself bumping into a Bayleef, and a Pincer, and a… Scizor.

I look up at the humanoid figure that towers above me. Being a Scizor, and the only Scizor in Area M, he's reddish-orange in colour, with yellow eyes and two pincers for each hand. Both pincers have yellow, I think they're screws, but they can be used to make it look like he has three heads. Course, he's only taller than me! He's nowhere close to the size I am!

And, that wasn't the best thing I could have said. I think that would mean I'm fat…

I gulp. Don't ask me how an Ariados can gulp. Just don't. The Scizors name is Dragblof, really bad name if you ask me, but I wouldn't say that in his face. He can get really angry, and even though he's second in command of Area M, I don't exactly trust him. He had that title when I came here as a Spinarak. All he would do was annoy me, by yelling and threatening me. If he ever _gained_ the title of Vargyi, which means second in command, but some people just call it deputy, I think he gained it by force. Either that or we have a really bad election system in Syliflus.

Now, let's just hope he doesn't speak to me…

"Ah, Rai, my favourite Ariados. And where would you be going this afternoon…?"

Of course he talks to me! He has a bit of menace in his voice, possibly, no, not possibly, _certainly _to taunt me.

Quickly, I try to come up with a good answer.

"Wow! Afternoon already?! I never keep track of time; I thought it was midnight two hours ago!"

God! That was stupid! Course it is true. I _did_ think it was midnight two hours ago. The strangest midnight I've ever seen, had flashing lights and loud booms of sound… Oh wait, isn't that a thunder-storm…? I don't know. It's hard to see the sky through all this… forest leave stuff.

"Oh, really? You thought it was midnight two hours ago?" He looks at me with an expression the makes him look dumb, but I think it's directed at me. He's mocking me!

"Because last time I checked, you have to know what time it is, because they have jobs… Tell me again, why you're not at yours?" I try to answer that, but he interrupts me as I open my pincer like… mouth… thing… See? Now, I'm messed up with what my body parts are! Pathetic!

"Oh, right! You never told me why you weren't at yours. Get lost?" This guy is _really_ getting on my nerves!

"Um… no…" I try to say the next thing fast.

"IaskedBrinserkifIcouldgototheHopspitalWingtoseeif GrainwastherebecauseIhaven'tseenGraininAwhileandth at'sprettymuchallkaybye!" (I asked Brinserk if I could go to the Hospital Wing to see if Grain was there because I haven't seen Grain in A while and that's pretty much all 'kay bye!)

I step to the side and skitter along the planks until I reach another one of those vines. I bump into someone else. Not again! I just want to get there- oh.

I look at the Galvantula beside me. 'Bout time I found her. Also, you know when I said to Dragblof that I ask Brinserk to go to the hospital wing? I lied.

She looks almost like me, except she's bright yellow, has four legs, is hairy, has six blue eyes, and looks nothing like me! Confused? Yeah. I am too.

Brinserk is the Utinron, or leader of Area M. She has an electrifying personality, but, I think we're friends, even with her rank.

"Oh! Hey Brinserk! Funny to see you here!" I don't really see her much; she has other important meetings and things to do.

Only two of her eyes stare at me. The other four, in the middle of her head, seem to be rolling around, surveying other things.

"Rai? Why are you here? You should be down at the barricades!"

The barricades. Course. Maybe I should ask her now? Nah, I think I can slip by her. My job is at the barricades, webbing it, to make sure it won't fall to enemy attacks. I think if I said something fast, she would understand, like the rest of her electrical body.

"Er… I'mgoingtotheHospitalWingtoseeifGrainisthere'kayby e!" (I'm going to the Hospital Wing to see if Grain is there 'kay bye!)

I rush past her, onto the vine. I hear something. Everything stops. No, wait, everything's in slow motion. I look a Brinserk as she slowly shakes her head.

"I'm sorry Rai… She isn't there, she's dead."

I feel my legs go numb. I lose my grip and start to fall, down, into the forest below…


End file.
